Such a chain for a chain transmission is known from WO03093700. The disadvantage of the known transmission is that leaving out the straight guide that supports the cam surfaces of the chain links before being supported by the cylindrical support surface, for instance in order to save costs, can cause wear on the corners of the cam surfaces. This wear is caused by the impact of the edge of the cam surface at the end of the chain link on the cylindrical support where the impact can create a too high stress level in the material.
In order to reduce the wear of the cam surface of the link plate the chain transmission includes a cam surface, the cam surface ends in a convex curved plane with near the end side an increasing slope angle with the link axis whereby the slope angle increases to at least half of the pitch angle or to at least seven degrees. At the location of the impact between a link plate and the cylindrical support surface the cam surface and the cylindrical support surface are parallel. As a consequence of the construction the area where the cam surface first impacts on the cylindrical support surface is limited to the area which makes an angle between zero and fifteen degrees with a line perpendicular to the path of the pitch axes of a link plate when it approaches the cylindrical support surface. The tangent to the cam surface at the impact location is parallel to the tangent on the cylindrical support surface and for this reason the location of the first impact on the cam surface is determined by the tangent of the cam surface. At the moment of impact the path of the pin axis is more or less parallel to the link axis and the surface of the impact area on the link plate makes an angle between zero and fifteen degrees with the link axis. By having the link plate in accordance with the chain for a chain transmission with chain links coupled by parallel chain pins, each chain link having at least one link plate, the chain pins forming pivot axes for the link plates at a pitch distance whereby a chain link axis perpendicularly intersects the two pivot axes, said link plates having towards at least one end side of the link plate a cam surface for supporting the link plate on a cylindrical support surfaces of a sprocket wheel with a pitch angle, characterized in that the cam surface ends in a convex curved plane with near the end side an increasing slope angle with the link axis whereby the slope angle increases to at least half of the pitch angle or to at least seven degrees, the curvature radius of the impact area of the cam surface is increased considerably whereby this does not lead to diminishing of the support the cam surface gives to the link plate so that an increase in the chordal movement of the chain is avoided. This increase of curvature radius leads to a strong reduction in the Hertz' contact stress so that excessive stress and deformation of the link plate is avoided.